Have you ever walked through the woods and wondered, "What is that plant?" Well, now's your chance to become a real nature detective! We're challenging students, families, and nature lovers across North Carolina to learn how to identify the plants around us - and discover which ones belong here and which ones don't.
Why Should You Care About Plant ID?
Think of plants like the foundation of a house.
Everything else in nature depends on them! Birds need native plants for food and nesting materials. Bees and butterflies rely on specific native flowers for nectar. Even the soil stays healthier when the right plants are growing in it.
But here's the problem: some plants that look perfectly normal are actually "plant invaders" - species that came from other places and are now taking over spaces that should belong to our native North Carolina plants.
Here's a real example of why this matters.
Japanese honeysuckle might smell amazing and look pretty with its white and yellow flowers, but it's a disaster for our local wildlife. When it takes over a forest area, it crowds out native plants like spicebush and wild azalea.
It gets worse - our native caterpillars can't process honeysuckle leaves as food. It's like trying to fuel a car with orange juice instead of gasoline - it just won't work! So when honeysuckle takes over, the caterpillars can't survive there, and then the birds that depend on catching those caterpillars to feed their babies have no food to offer their chicks.
When native spicebush grows in that same spot, it supports over 50 different types of butterfly and moth caterpillars that birds can easily find and catch to feed to their chicks. One plant feeds the whole food web, while the other creates a "food desert" for wildlife.
So learning to tell the difference is like being a nature superhero!
The Basics of Plant Identification
Before you head out to find these plants, let's cover the detective basics. When you're trying to identify a plant, you need to look at these key features:
Leaves: Are they smooth or fuzzy? Do they have jagged edges or smooth ones? Are they shaped like hearts, ovals, or something else? How are they arranged on the stem?
Flowers: What color are they? How many petals? Are they tiny and clustered together or big and showy?
Stems: Are they woody like a tree branch, or green and bendy? Do they have thorns?
Size: Is it a tiny ground cover, a medium-sized shrub, or a tall tree?
Where it grows: Is it in sunny spots, shady areas, wet places, or dry soil?
Think of yourself as a plant detective collecting clues. The more clues you gather, the easier it becomes to solve the mystery of what plant you're looking at!
Common Native Plants in North Carolina
(The Good Guys!)
The North Carolina Native Plant Society has many of our state’s plants listed in their plant gallery with lots of pictures and facts. You can use this as a guide to learn more about each of the plants we talk about in this activity! That’s where we found all of the images for this post.
Here are some native plants you might spot on your nature walk - these are the plants that belong here and help our local wildlife thrive:
Native Trees
Eastern Red Cedar
These evergreen trees look like Christmas trees and have small blue berries that birds love. The bark comes off in strips like it's peeling. Look for them in sunny, dry areas.
Tulip Poplar
These tall trees have leaves shaped like tulips (hence the name!). In spring, they have beautiful orange and green tulip-shaped flowers high up in the branches.
Native Shrubs
Spicebush
This shrub has smooth, oval leaves that smell spicy when you crush them (that's how it got its name!). It grows in shady, moist areas and has small yellow flowers in early spring.
Native Wild Flowers
Wild Bergamot
This plant has purple, spiky-looking flowers that smell minty when you rub the leaves. Bees and butterflies go crazy for it!
Black-Eyed Susan (Early Blooming/Late Blooming)
These cheerful flowers look like yellow daisies with dark brown centers. We have two native types of Black-Eyed Susan growing in North Carolina. One prefers the sun and blooms in May, June and July while the other prefers the shade and blooms in July, August, and September.
Invasive Plants in North Carolina (The Troublemakers!)
These plants might look pretty, but they're causing big problems for our native species.
Again, The North Carolina Native Plant Society has many of our state’s plants listed in their plant gallery with lots of pictures and facts. You can use this as a guide to learn more about each of the plants we talk about in this activity! That’s where we found all of the images for this post.
Invasive Trees
Mimosa (Silk Tree)
This tree has feathery leaves that look like fern fronds and fluffy pink flowers that look like pom-poms. Don't be fooled by how pretty it is - it spreads like crazy!
Princess Tree
This fast-growing tree is easy to spot because of its enormous heart-shaped leaves - some are bigger than dinner plates! In spring, it has showy clusters of purple, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom before the leaves come out. The bark is smooth and grayish, and it produces woody seed pods that look like small footballs.
Invasive Vines & Shrubs
Japanese Honeysuckle
This vine has white or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers that smell really sweet. The leaves are oval and stay green most of the year. It wraps around everything and smothers native plants.
Kudzu
Known as "the vine that ate the South," kudzu has heart-shaped, smooth edged leaves that come in groups of three. It grows so aggressively that it smothers and kills native trees and shrubs. Kudzu can grow up to 1' a day and over 100' in a growing season covering entire trees, fences, and buildings.
Frost Grape
🌟LOOK TWICE!!
The Frost Grape, a North Carolina native plant, is often confused with Kudzu, so look closely! Frost Grape leaves have jagged, toothed edges and are heart-shaped but more angular. It has curly tendrils that help it climb (something Kudzu doesn’t have), and produces small dark grapes in fall that feed over 40 species of birds and mammals. The leaves also support native caterpillars that birds need to feed their babies.
Autumn Olive
This shrub has silvery-green leaves that are oval-shaped. It produces lots of small red berries that might look tasty, but it crowds out native plants that our wildlife really needs. The berries are much less nutritious than native alternatives, so while birds might eat them when other food is scarce, they don't provide the same nutritional value. Plus, when birds do eat the berries, they spread the seeds everywhere in their droppings, which is actually how autumn olive spreads so aggressively and crowds out native plants.
English Ivy
This evergreen vine climbs up trees, fences, and buildings using tiny rootlets that stick to surfaces. The leaves are thick, waxy, and dark green with 3-5 pointed lobes that look almost like little hands. It stays green all year long and produces small black berries. English Ivy forms thick mats on the ground and climbs high into trees, eventually killing them by blocking sunlight and adding too much weight to branches.
🌟LOOK TWICE!!
Virginia Creeper
Virginia Creeper, a North Carolina native plant, is often confused with English Ivy, so look closely! Virginia Creeper has 5 separate leaflets per leaf (not lobed like ivy), turns brilliant red and orange in fall, and produces blue berries that birds love. It climbs using small adhesive discs rather than rootlets, and it doesn't form the thick, smothering mats that English Ivy creates. Virginia Creeper provides food for over 35 species of birds and supports native moths and butterflies.
Why Native Plants Matter (And Why Invasives Are Trouble)
Imagine if you moved to a new country where you didn't speak the language, didn't know the culture, and didn't have any friends. That's kind of what happens when a plant gets moved to a new place - except plants can't learn to fit in.
Native plants have been here for thousands of years. They've learned to work together with our local birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals. A native oak tree, for example, can support over 500 different types of insects, which then feed the birds that live in our neighborhoods.
Invasive plants, on the other hand, are like that person who shows up to a party uninvited and takes over the whole place. They often grow faster than native plants, use up all the resources, and don't provide the right kind of food for our local animals. Some invasive plants even release chemicals that prevent native plants from growing nearby!
How Invasive Plants Get Here
Most invasive plants didn't sneak into North Carolina on their own - people brought them here, usually by accident. Here are the most common ways:
Gardening Gone Wrong: Someone thought a plant looked pretty in another country and brought it here to grow in their garden. Then it escaped and spread everywhere.
Hitchhikers: Seeds stuck to cars, boats, or camping gear and got carried to new places.
Trade and Travel: Plants or seeds accidentally got mixed in with other products being shipped around the world.
Good Intentions: Sometimes people brought plants here thinking they would help with problems like erosion, but they ended up creating bigger problems.
The tricky thing is that once invasive plants are here, they often don't have the same insects, diseases, or animals that kept them under control in their original homes. It's like playing a video game on easy mode - they can spread without anything stopping them!
Your Plant ID Challenge Mission
Now for the fun part - your mission as a nature detective! Here's what you need to do:
Before You Go:
Print out the plant finding guide in this post or keep it handy on your phone
Bring a camera or phone for taking pictures
Grab a notebook and pencil for taking notes
Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants (some plants can cause rashes)
Bring water and a snack if you're going on a longer walk
During Your Nature Walk:
Start small: Pick one area like your backyard, a local park, or a short trail
Look for 5-10 different plants: Don't try to identify everything at once
Take detailed photos: Get pictures of leaves, flowers, stems, and the whole plant
Write down clues: Note where you found it (sunny/shady, wet/dry), how big it was, and any special features. And remember if you’re having trouble identifying a plant there are more photos and information on each of the plants we mention in the article in the North Carolina Plant Society Plant Gallery.
Don't pick or disturb the plants: Just observe and photograph
Stay safe: Don't touch plants you can't identify - some can cause skin irritation
After Your Walk:
Research your finds: Use field guides, apps, or websites to identify your mystery plants
Share your discoveries: Post photos with #NCWORFPlantIDChallenge
Share with friends: Teach others what you learned!
Special Tips for Different Ages
Middle School Students:
Start with the most common plants in your area. Focus on learning 2-3 native plants and 2-3 invasive plants really well. Create a photo collection or scrapbook of your finds. Team up with friends to make it more fun!
High School Students:
Challenge yourself to learn the scientific names along with common names. Research why certain invasive plants are problems in your specific region. Consider starting a plant identification club at school or volunteering with local conservation groups. You could even create presentations to teach younger students!
Join the Movement!
Plant identification might seem like a small thing, but when lots of people learn to tell the difference between native and invasive plants, we can make a big difference for North Carolina's natural areas. Every person who learns to identify invasive plants is another set of eyes helping to protect our local ecosystems.
So grab your camera, put on your detective hat, and head outside! North Carolina's plants are waiting to tell you their stories. Who knows - you might discover a new favorite native plant or help spot an invasive species before it takes over a new area.
Happy plant hunting, nature detectives!
The Bottom Line
You've got the tools, you know what to look for, and North Carolina's ecosystems are counting on you! Every native plant you can identify and every invasive species you can spot makes you part of the solution. Get out there and start exploring - our wildlife is depending on people like you to help keep nature in balance.
Ready to take the challenge? Share your plant ID discoveries using #NCWORFPlantIDChallenge and help us protect North Carolina's native plant communities!
